Conveyor system and method for conveying planar products

Abstract

The conveyor system for planar products ( 60 ), in particular print shop products, features a feeder device ( 50 ) as well as a gripper conveyor ( 10 ) with a plurality of grippers ( 12 ) that move along an orbital track (U), wherein the grippers ( 12 ) each include two gripper parts ( 14, 16 ) that can be pivoted relative to one another between an open position and a closed position. The relative position of the gripper parts ( 14, 16 ) to one another and/or the orientation of the whole gripper ( 12 ) in space is a function of its position along the orbital track and is set by at least one control guide ( 28, 30, 40, 80, 80′ ) that interacts with the grippers such that the gripper parts ( 14, 16 ) can be moved from an open position to a closed position while moving through a transfer area (A) of the orbital track (U) for the transfer of products ( 60 ) from the feeder device ( 50 ).

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A conveyor system for flat products, in particular print shop products, comprising:
 a feeder device, 
 as well as a gripper conveyor with a plurality of grippers which move along an orbital track (U), 
 wherein each gripper comprises two gripper parts which can be pivoted relative to one another between an open position and a closed position, whose orientation relative to one another and relative to the orbital track is dependent upon their position along the orbital track and is set by means of at least one control device, which features at least one control guide that interacts with the grippers, such that gripper parts in a transfer area (A) of the orbital track (U) can be transferred from the open position to the closed position for the transfer of the products from the feeder device, and 
 wherein the grippers can be controlled by the control device in such a way that selectively individual grippers can be moved through the transfer area (A) without taking up a product from the feeder device. 
 
     
     
       2. The conveyor system according to  claim 1 , wherein the control device features at least one controllable control guide with at least one movable element. 
     
     
       3. The conveyor system according to  claim 2 , wherein the at least one controllable control guide comprises at least one guiding face, which is capable of interacting with a control element on the gripper or with a gripper part in order to effect the adjustment of the position of the gripper parts relative to one another and/or the adjustment of the orientation of the gripper relative to the orbital track (U). 
     
     
       4. The conveyor system according to  claim 3 , wherein the position of the guiding face with respect to the orbital track (U) can be altered in a controller manner. 
     
     
       5. The conveyor system according to  claim 3 , wherein a stationary control guide is present, with a first guiding face as well as a movable control guide with a further guiding face, wherein depending upon the position of the movable control guide, the first guiding face or the further guiding face interacts with the gripper. 
     
     
       6. The conveyor system according to  claim 1 , wherein the gripper conveyor is arranged relative to the feeder device such that as the grippers move along the orbital track (U) they approach the transfer area (A) of the feeder device from above. 
     
     
       7. The conveyor system according to  claim 6 , wherein the orientation of the gripper parts in the transfer area (A) as well as the position of the feeder device are selected such that the products are moved by the feeder device between these gripper parts in the case of open grippers, or in the case of closed grippers, are moved beneath the gripper parts that are facing the feeder device. 
     
     
       8. The conveyor system according to  claim 7 , wherein in the gripper's closed position, the gripper part facing the feeder device is capable of deflecting a product downwards. 
     
     
       9. The conveyor system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a control unit that is capable of affecting the opening and closing device. 
     
     
       10. The conveyor system according to  claim 9 , further comprising a detection device, that is an optical sensor, and which is capable of detecting the presence of a product that is not to be transferred and transmitting a corresponding signal to the control unit. 
     
     
       11. A gripper conveyor with a plurality of grippers that are moved along an orbital track (U), each gripper comprising two gripper parts that can be pivoted relative to one another between an open position and a closed position, and with a controllable opening and closing device with at least one control guide by means of which the position of the gripper parts of individual grippers relative to one another can be adjusted, for use within a conveyor system according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
       12. A method for conveying flat products, in particular print shop products, with a conveyor system, comprising the following steps:
 providing as part of the conveyor system:
 a feeder device, 
 as well as a gripper conveyor with a plurality of grippers which move along an orbital track (U), 
 wherein each gripper comprises two gripper parts which can be pivoted relative to one another between an open position and a closed position, whose orientation relative to one another and relative to the orbital track is dependent upon their position along the orbital track and is set by means of at least one control device, which features at least one control guide that interacts with the grippers, such that gripper parts in a transfer area (A) of the orbital track (U) can be transferred from the open position to the closed position for the transfer of the products from the feeder device, and wherein grippers can be controlled by the control device in such a way that selectively individual grippers can be moved through the transfer area (A) without taking up a product from the feeder device; 
 
 conveying the products with the feeder device; 
 gripping and further conveying the products by the grippers of the gripper conveyor, by means of the gripper parts being brought from the open position to the closed position in the transfer area (A); 
 wherein control of the open and/or closed position of the grippers is performed in such a way that selectively individual grippers can be moved through the transfer area (A) without taking up a product from the feeder device. 
 
     
     
       13. The method according to  claim 12 , wherein in the open position the grippers are moved to the transfer area (A) and selectively closed at a first closing location for the taking-up of a product or for the rejection of a product are pivoted, in a conveying direction, at a position before that of the first closed position. 
     
     
       14. The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the grippers are moved to the transfer area (A) in the closed position, and selectively for the taking-up of a product are opened at a first opening location and subsequently closed at a first closing location, or for the rejection of a product are moved through the transfer area (A) in the closed position. 
     
     
       15. The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the gripper part that faces the feeder device, when moved in its closed position through the transfer area (A) by the movement of the grippers, serves to deflect a product downwards. 
     
     
       16. The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the grippers are moved in the open position to the transfer area (A), and selectively are closed at a first closing location for the taking-up of a product, or for the rejection of a product are moved through the transfer area (A) in the open position.